Louver type ventilator



Jan. 21, 1958 L. L. SMITH LOUVER TYPE VENTILATOR 1 Filed July 28, 1954 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY United States PatentO This invention relates to louver type ventilators, and more particularly to such ventilators having louvered panels in spaced relationship and adapted to mounting.

with either panel facing outwardly.

One of the general objects of my invention is to provide a louver type ventilator adapted to mounting in flush relationship to a building wall or in a manner'such that it is a self-casing unit.

My invention further has Within its purview the provi sion of a louver type ventilator embodying a pair of louveredpanels in spaced and opposed relationship, whereby improved protection like is afforded without loss of ventilating capacity.

As another object, this invention provides a louver type ventilator of the type referred to and which embodies spaced louver panels giving double 'louverprotec-" a mounting flange, and from between the tion, a reinforced mounting rim, provision for drainage of moisture panels to the outside wall surface regardlessof which panel of the ventilator faces outwardly when mounted.

In the louver type ventilator of this invention, I have also provided a structure having the characteristics and which may be made either with or without a screen between the louver panels.

Other objects and advantagesof the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the single sheet of drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of one face of a louver type ventilator embodying a preferred'form of this invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the face of the louver type ventilator which is opposite to that depicted in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side sectional view drawn to a larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2 and wherein the section is taken substantially on a line 33 of Fig. 1, and in the direction indicated by arrows; I

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the louver type ventilator illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary exploded view depicting a corner portion of the parts of my illustrated louver type ventilator prior to the assembly of those parts as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.

The accompanying drawings depict an exemplary embodiment of my louver type ventilator for illustrative purposes. The structure there shown is generally rectangular, although it will become apparent that other external configurations could be utilized without departing from the inventive concepts herein disclosed. In the form shown, the ventilator is adapted to mounting on an external wall of a building or the like with either face exposed outwardly of the building, as determined by whether the ventilator is to be self-casing, or whether it is to be mounted in flush relationship to the surface of the wall. In the form illustrated, the ventilator structure includes two panels and 11 which are each integrally from rain, snow and the aforementioned ice made of sheet metal, such as aluminum or galvanized sheet steel. Considered generally, the sheet metal panels are cut and formed to provide louvered surfaces in spaced and substantially parallel relationship to one another'with a reinforced mounting flange surrounding the louvered portions.

Referring to the disclosed structure in greater detail, the panel 10 has a mid-portion 13 in which a series of louvers 14 are integrally punched and formed in spaced and substantially parallel relationship to one another. In a rectangular ventilator, such as that herein disclosed, the louvers 14 are of substantially the same size and configuration and form a row covering a substantial portion of the mid-portion of the panel surface, with all of the louvers of the row opening in the same general direction. As integral parts of the panel 10, and adjacent the mid-portion 13 of the panel, end marginal areas such as 15 and side marginal areas 16 are provided by cutting away corner portions of the generally rectangular panel blank. The end marginal portions 15 are folded with reference to the mid-portion 13 along lines 17 to provide inner end mounting flanges 15a. At a preselected distance from the fold line 17, second folds are provided in the end marginal areas 15 and along lines 18 to provide projecting end flanges 15b which project outwardly beyond the mid-portion 13 of the panel in substantially parallel relationship thereto. The folds along lines 17 and 18 each comprise substantially ninety degree bends in the. panel material in the disclosed structure. Likewise, the side marginal areas 16 are bent along lines 1? and 20 to provide inner side mounting flanges 16a and projecting side flanges 16b. As shown in Fig. 5, the ends of the inner side and end mounting flanges lie inadjacent relationship to form a corner 22, and the projecting end flanges 15b and projecting side flanges 16b lie in the same general plane which issubstantially parallel to the panel mid-portion 13.

The panel 11 has end and side marginal areas 23 and 24, respectively, which are adjacent to and integral with a mid-portion 25, which mid-portion, as in panel 10, is provided with a plurality of integrally punched and formed louvers 26 in spaced and substantially parallel relationship to one another. In the structure disclosed, the louvers 26 of the panel 11 are of substantially the same size as those in the panel 10 and are similarly spaced from one another. Corner portions 27 of the panel 11 are diagonally cut with reference to the side and end edges of the panel 11, so that when the end and side marginal areas 23 and 24 are folded around the projecting end and side flanges 15b and 16b respectively of the panel 10, right angular corners are formed on the louver assembly with the beveled edges abutting, as shown in Fig. 1. In the disclosed structure, the marginal areas 23 and 24 are of sizes such that they overlap the projecting end and side flanges 15b and 16b of the panel 10 to provide a reinforced rim on the ventilator assembly.

As depicted in the drawings, my preferred ventilator structure includes a screen 28 which is interposed between the louver panels and which is of a size such that the side and end margins of the screen are gripped in the assembly between the projecting end and side flanges 15b and 16b of the panel 10 and marginal portions of the panel 11. The use of the screen provides protection against the passage of bugs, birds and airborne debris through the louver openings.

While the louvers of the two panels of an assembly such as that illustrated herein may all open toward the same edge of the louver structure, the disclosed embodiment of my invention has the louvers of one panel inverted with respect to the louvers of the opposed panel. Both the separation of the louvered mid-portions of the two panels and the relative inversion of the louvers of the panels with respect to one another contribute to improved weather protection such as from ice and snow. It may be readily understood that th structure of my assembly, as thus far described, is such that it may be mounted rela tive to a wall witheither of the louvered panels at the exterior of the wall. in either instance, of course, the louvers of the exterior panel face downwardly to afford optimum weather protection. When mounted with the panel 316 at the exterior of the wall, the wall surface material, such as siding, stucco or brick may cover the surface of the reinforced flange and abut the end and side mounting flanges 15a and 16a. When the panel 11 faces outwardly of the wall, the reinforced flange overlaps adjacent wall surface material.

In order to provide for drainage of any moisture which may get into the space between the separated mid-pen tions of the panels 1% and H, and particularly to provide for the drainage of that moisture to the exterior of the building upon which the ventilator is mounted, I have provided a plurality of drain openings 29 and in the panels 10 and 11 respectively, at opposite ends of the space between the mid-portions of the panels. As may be observed by reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the drain openings are in the end portion of the panel ltl toward which the louvers open, and the drain openings 36' are in the end portion of the panel 11 toward which its louvers'open. Thus, when the ventilator is mounted with the panel 10 facing outwardly of a building wall and with the louvers extending downwardly for providing weather protection, the drain openings are at the bottom of the space between the panels and extend outwardly from that space to what is then the exterior surface of the adjacent wall. in this instance, the drain openings 30 in the panel 311 are at the inner top part of the ventilator and provide no effective drainage. On the other hand, however, when the panel lit faces outwardly of the building, and the louvers extend downwardly for weather protection, the opening 3&9 affords drainage to the exterior surface of the wall, and the opening 29 in the panel 10 provides no effective drainage toward the interior of the wall.

From the foregoing description and reference to the drawings it be readily understood that l have provided a louver type ventilator embodying two integrally formed panels having louvers in opposed relationship in the mid-portions of the panels and assembled in a manner which provides a reinforced mounting rim or flange, and which ventilator, in addition to having the opposed louvers for insuring weather protection, has the midportions of the panels separated to provide added weather protection, and also affords drainage for the space between the panels which naturally or necessarily extends to the exterior surface of the louver and adjacent wall, while preventing drainage to the inner wall surface regardless of whether one side or the other of the ventilator is faced outwardly of the wall when it is mounted.

Although my invention has been described in connection with specific details of the embodiments thereof, it must be understood that it is not intended to be limited thereto except insofar as set forth in the accompanying claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A louver type ventilator comprising, in combination, two metal sheets which each have integral louvers proiecting in one direction from the general plane of the mid-portion thereof and opening in a direction extending along that general plane and toward one end of the sheet, the louvers of the two sheets being in inverted relationship to one another, one of said sheets having angularly disposed flanges on each side margin thereof which provide inner mounting flanges in angular relationship to the plane of said mid-portion and outer flanges in a plane spaced from the plane of the mid-portion and substantially parallel to said plane of the mid-portion thereof, the other sheet having marginal portions overlying said outer flanges of the said one of the sheets to provide therewith a second mounting flange, the mid-portions of the assembled sheets being in spaced relationship to one another with the louvers of the two sheets projecting in opposite directions therefrom, a screen interposed and secured between the mid-portions of the two sheets, and each of said sheets having a drain opening therein at a position closely adjacent and inward of the second mounting flange and only at the end thereof toward which the louvers open, whereby the drain openings are at opposite ends of the two sheets and open outwardly of the lower portion of the ventilator when either sheet is used exteriorly with the louvers opening downwardly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,298,190 Eveleth Mar. 25, 1919 1,640,588 Yager et a1 Aug. 30, 1927 1,677,421 Yager et al July 17, 1928 2,509,016 Peterson May 23, 1950 2,663,246 Smith Dec. 22, 1953 

